Thanks to a second consecutive double series win, Lucas Coenen (Red Bull KTL) raced to victory in the Portuguese GP today. The 18-year-old Belgian kept veteran Romain Febvre at bay and is doing an excellent job in the World Championship. Due to the absence of Tim Gajser, Febvre is now the new leader, but Coenen is closing in on 43 points.
IIn particularly tricky, muddy conditions, Coenen had the best start in the first corner, together with Ruben Fernandez. Coenen took his third holeshot of the season, with Febvre and Fernandez close behind. Romain Febvre quickly moved up to P2 and put pressure on the young Belgian. Brian Bogers meanwhile moved up to P3 by passing Fernandez and held that position for about half the race.
Febvre tried an attack on the inside, but Coenen immediately parried and took back the lead. From that moment on, he never relinquished the lead. Kevin Horgmo worked his way up to sixth place and later also passed Pauls Jonass for P5.
Bad luck struck Bogers. He slid off the bike, dislocated his shoulder, got back on and eventually finished 18th. Vlaanderen was in fifth place just over halfway through the race, made a few mistakes and dropped back to P12. Coenen remained faultless and thus wrote his fourth heat win of the season to his name, ahead of Febvre and Fernandez. Jonass and Maxime Renaux – who only came through around P20 after the first lap – completed the top five. Glen Coldenhoff had already fallen on the first lap, but came back from far away to still salvage an 8th place.
Lucas Coenen authoritarian
The second heat started again with a cracking start from Lucas Coenen on the Red Bull KTM – his second holeshot of the day. In his wake followed Febvre and a strong starting Vlaanderen, with Fernandez fourth. The conditions were now completely different from race 1: the sun broke through, the circuit dried out.
Jeremy Seewer crashed in the first corner, and Maxime Renaux also crashed when he was in 5th position. Jeffrey Herlings struggled past Glenn Coldenhoff and was running sixth at one point, but crashed again and had to settle for seventh place. In the first race, 'the bullit' had finished 10th.
At the front, Coenen kept his cool. Febvre kept pushing, but “LC96” held on, remained calm and controlled the race until the finish. With that, he took his second double moto win of the season. In this way, the MX2 vice world champion shows that he too can still play a leading role in the MXGP title fight!
A regular Andrea Bonacorsi, again 4th (6-5) confirmed his form. Fantic teammate Coldenhoff finished 6th (8-6) after Pauls Jonass. Jago Geerts (photo below) finished 12th in the daily standings today. For Bogers, Roan van de Moosdijk and Brent Van Doninck, Portugal was a race to forget quickly.
MXGP Race 1
1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 37:05.111; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:06.214; 3. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:57.873; 4. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Kawasaki), +1:08.227; 5. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +1:15.921; 6. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, Fantic), +1:17.935; 7. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Honda), +1:22.965; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Fantic), +1:34.164; 9. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, Ducati), +1:40.208; 10. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +1:50.129; 11. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), +1:54.442; 12. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +2:12.823; 13. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +2:18.544; 14. Ben Watson (GBR, Beta), +2:24.751; 15. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Ducati), +2:31.369; 16. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KTM), -1 lap(s); 17. Kevin Brumann (SUI, Husqvarna), -1 lap(s); 18. Brian Bogers (NED, Fantic), -1 lap(s); 19. Josh Gilbert (GBR, Honda), -1 lap(s); 20. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Honda), -1 lap(s); 21. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), -1 lap(s); 22. John Adamson (GBR, Honda), -5 lap(s); 23. Tom Koch (GER, Beta), -10 lap(s);
MXGP Race 2
1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 36:41.817; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:10.991; 3. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:28.685; 4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:32.578; 5. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, Fantic), +0:36.145; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Fantic), +0:37.655; 7. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:40.649; 8. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Kawasaki), +1:16.611; 9. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +1:42.021; 10. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, Ducati), +1:52.353; 11. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Ducati), +1:55.385; 12. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +2:24.080; 13. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), +2:37.838; 14. Kevin Brumann (SUI, Husqvarna), -1 lap(s); 15. Tom Koch (GER, Beta), -1 lap(s); 16. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Honda), -1 lap(s); 17. Josh Gilbert (GBR, Honda), -1 lap(s); 18. Ben Watson (GBR, Beta), -1 lap(s); 19. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), -1 lap(s); 20. John Adamson (GBR, Honda), -2 lap(s); 21. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KTM), -2 lap(s); 22. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Honda), -5 lap(s); 23. Brian Bogers (NED, Fantic), -15 lap(s);
MXGP Portugal final standings
1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 50 points; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 44 p.; 3. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 40 p.; 4. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, FAN), 31 p.; 5. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KAW), 31 p.; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 28 p.; 7. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 28 p.; 8. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 27 p.; 9. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 25 p.; 10. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, DUC), 23 p.; 11. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), 18 p.; 12. Geerts Trade (BEL, YAM), 17 p.; 13. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, DUC), 16 points; 14. Kevin Horgmo (NORTH, HON), 14 p.; 15. Kevin Brumann (SUI, HUS), 11 pts.; 16. Ben Watson (GBR, BET), 10 pts.; 17. Tom Koch (GER, BET), 6 pts.; 18. Brent Van doninck (BEL, HON), 6 p.; 19. Josh Gilbert (GBR, HON), 6 p.; 20. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KTM), 5 p.; 21. Brian Bogers (NED, FAN), 3 p.; 22. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), 2 p.; 23. John Adamson (GBR, HON), 1 p.; 24. Luis Outeiro (BOR, YAM), 0 p.; 25. Victor Alonso (ESP, HON), 0 p.;
MXGP standings after 7 laps
1. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 330 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 305 p.; 3. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 287 p.; 4. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 250 p.; 5. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 223 pts.; 6. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 217 p.; 7. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, FAN), 194 p.; 8. Kevin Horgmo (NORTH, HON), 177 p.; 9. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 162 p.; 10. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, DUC), 156 p.; 11. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KAW), 117 p.; 12. Ben Watson (GBR, BET), 112 p.; 13. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), 109 p.; 14. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, DUC), 107 p.; 15. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 103 p.; 16. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 94 p.; 17. Isak Gifting (SWE, YAM), 78 p.; 18. Valentin Guillod (SUI, YAM), 72 p.; 19. Brian Bogers (NED, FAN), 64 p.; 21. Kevin Brumann (SUI, HUS), 50 p.; 22. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), 40 p.; 23. Tom Koch (GER, BET), 30 p.; 24. Marcel Stauffer (AUT, KTM), 23 p.; 25. Noah Ludwig (GER, KTM), 19 p.; 26. Josh Gilbert (GBR, HON), 19 p.; 27. Maximilian Spies (GER, KTM), 13 p.; 28. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, DUC), 10 p.; 29. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, DUC), 9 p.; 30. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 8 p.; 31. Cornelius Toendel (NOR, HON), 7 p.; 32. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, KAW), 6 p.; 33. Brent Van doninck (BEL, HON), 6 p.; 34. Fabio Aparecido dos Santos (BRA, YAM), 5 points; 35. Cato Nickel (GER, HUS), 4 points; 36. Romain Pape (FRA, YAM), 3 points; 37. Alberto Forato (ITA, HON), 2 points; 38. Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 1 point; 39. Mark Scheu (GER, HUS), 1 point; 40. John Adamson (GBR, HON), 1 point;
Tekst: Editorial office
Photos: Gold & goose / Red Contentpool, Fullspectrum Media, JP Acevedo
